Most of the guys ran stock boats. Money comes and goes. Leaving his office that afternoon, Aronow was making for his North Bay Road residence, a 1929 Spanish-style waterfront mansion undergoing renovations, 30 minutes drive away. Aronow: My father broke up more marriages than anybody. He was right out of a Hollywood script. And if you had money and you were a coward, hed take as much as possible. His boats won over 350 offshore races, two world championships, and three U.S. championships as his career grew. Don and I had had a meeting to discuss my salary. Check Death Reason HOw Old She Was? Specifically, the 2018 film is a remake of the corresponding true-crime book. Kramer got a 19-year sentence for manslaughter to run concurrently with a life term for marijuana smuggling. Don Aronow born in 1927 in Brooklyn New York, left New Jersey in 1961 to relocate in Miami. Additionally, Travoltas earlier fame did not contribute to the films success. That was on my to-do list: Deal with Baby Doc. Next thing I know, an employee is banging on my door. In 1948, he married Shirley Goldin [1] [6] who he had met while working as a lifeguard on Coney Island. At the time, Saccenti was recovering from a horrific crash on Lake Erie. I cant imagine that though, he was pretty easy to find. Separately, there were rumours that Aronow may have been assisting law enforcement, even becoming an informant or at least that, in early 1987, he was about to be subpoenaed to give evidence about the USA Racing Team transactions. Collecting his children from summer camp, and not returning to the family home, the 34 year-old arrived in Florida with a $2 million retirement fund. You never knew who might show up here, from royalty and high-born celebrity clients to drug-dealing low-lifes, by way of government officials, heads of the various boat firms and a diverse population of workers who earned their livings here. To finance the development, he sold more civilised versions, with teak decks and sleeping quarters, to the general public. He admired Aronow and acquired a corner of the Row, obtaining an interest in Apache, which in turn supplied the vessels he raced offshore (his fabled Warpath, based on a deep V Cigarette mould, won him a world championship). By various accounts, he then fled to Florida in 1960 to escape the mob. The automobiles tycoons untimely demise, which made international headlines, did not go over well with the crowd. Don Aronow: The King of Thunderboat Row, 1994, by Michael Aronow WebProfile of Don Aronow murder on TV show Expose hosted by Tom Brokaw By the end of 1962, Don had founded the Formula Marine boat company as a specialized moto boat business, which he ultimately sold to Alliance Machine Corp. of Merrick Lewis. Meanwhile, Kramer had been convicted of massive marijuana smuggling and money laundering, receiving multiple prison sentences including life without parole. Aronow won the World Powerboat Championship in 1967 (hed go on to win it once more and the US championship three times), and in 1968, he sold Magnum. Aronow raced his 8.2-metre Maltese Magnum all over the globe, Don Aronow with his wife Lillian and son Gavin, NE 188th Street which was nicknamed Thunderbolt Row, Credit: Courtesy of Cigarette Racing Team, Ben Kramer (on right) with racing friends, some of whom were convicted of cocaine traffiking (from left) Willie Falcn, Keith Eickert, Sal Magluta and Bobby Saccenti, Aronow was driving a sporty white Mercedes-Benz two-seater, Credit: Courtesy of Miami-Dade Police Dept/Arthur Jay Harris, Dry Martini, a cigarette designed and built by Don Aronow, Credit: Ajax News & Feature Service/Alamy Stock Photo, The Beatles taking a ride in a Formula 23 on their first trip to the US, The then vice president Bush personally tested the Blue Thunder boats, Aronow with Howard Cosell at the Kentucky Derby, The Lincoln Continental the shooter allegedly used, How the 88m Project X came to life over 14 years. He owns a horse farm in Ocala, a home in Miami Beach and a new Long Island estate that just made Toen and Country. Don built boats for good guys and he built them for bad guys. Who Is Ben Aronoff? Then one time, Don left, and said Alright kid, Ill see ya, and he walked out the door. Ben establishes his automotive empire in the film after relocating to Miami and changing his perspective to win. He succeeds in a number of major motor races and rises to the position of speedboat tycoon. Within a year of its creation, Donzi Marine gained recognition on a global scale, making it an immediate success. Peters: He didnt like guys that came in and tried to go toe to toe with him. We were having lunch one day and Don asked if it was a good watch. He came to my basketball games, my football games, he was always around.. It was a big building and obscured the Donzi plant you couldnt see [Donzi] from Highway 1 anymore! From one of Italy';s best families.". But a dark Lincoln Continental rolled up alongside and then shots rang out. Queen Elizabeth II: Death And Obituary What Happened To Her? When you shook his hand, that was the deal. Youre a businessman, too. Her father was extremely wealthy and Don once told me he was going to take Shirley to California if the old man didnt cut him into the business. He was an alpha male, like the male lion you see on safari. Meet His Family, Ben Aronoff Net Worth Figures In The Movie. Six foot three, real good looking, lots of swagger. Everything there to me was racing and drug trafficking. And then one night Aronow and the contessa were driving back from a candlelit dinner in a tiny restaurant high in the Carrara Mountains. Also, said Peters, the Coast Guard drivers were left drowned in the wake of the offshore racers and the cocaine runners, who just had a different mentality come race time.. The secret to happiness is taking risks: Don Aronow understood that motto as well as anyone who ever lived. He retired and moved to Florida 10 years later -- a millionaire in his early 30's, his fortune spawned by the thousands of tract homes Aronow had built and sold throughout northern New Jersey. The Beatles, Don Aronow, and his son Michael cruise off Miami before the bands iconic 1964 appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. How Did He Die? Back in those days [criminal activity involving speedboats] was very prevalent because there was a lot of smuggling going on. Katheryn Winnick and John Travolta in Speed Kills ( Source : imdb ) Ben and his wife Emily also had a son named Andrew. He was a real successful cocksman. There are about 70 people out there who think they have a boat Don built for himself!, Michael Aronow By 1966, my dad had sold Donzi to Teleflex. His second hull was fiberglass -- its hull shaped in a deep-vee to slash through the waves. In Miami, his head was turned by the nascent offshore powerboating scene and in particular the gruelling Miami-Nassau race that ran for 296 kilometres. However when the Customs Service found out about the younger Kramers criminal reputation, they put the kibosh on the transaction.]. He came to my basketball games, my football games, he was always around. But they [blew] a clutch and had nothing left. He later got married to Lillian Crawford, a model for Wilhelmina who was 24 years younger than he was. I can retire and lets go to Florida. This was in 1961. Barely into his forties, Aronow was now a famous, feted and very wealthy man. Next thing I know an employee comes in and hes banging on my door. WebAronow married twice. I knew they were gunshots. I think hed really be proud of the boats., What Are The Best Boats For OffShore Fishing? Members of the Bee Gees were neighbours on both sides. That was just his personality. But in the end the investigation led to a hired gun. Jackson said it was the best in the world. Jackson said it was the best in the world. Aronow: After he was working with the family for a few years he went off on his own and started building homes, then shopping centers, industrial parks, all over northern New Jersey. WebClaudia is a New York artist and ex-wife of real estate developer Martin Kimmel. Far below, the Mediterranean lay shimmering in the moonlight. It was mostly a lot of hell-raising and good times.". Speculation about who the killer might be ran from jilted lovers to jealous husbands to Meyer Lansky to the CIA. Of the World's most recognized racing boat companies, Don Aronow established five; Donzi, Formula, Magnum, Cigarette and Don built boats for good guys and he built them for bad guys. Brown: Our friend Stu Jackson worked for Thunderbird and he received a gold Rolex when he retired. They were fast (more than 112km/h), good for interdiction activities (stable when boarding intercepted boats) and comparatively easy to drive. Don did not enjoy boating. Also read:Queen Elizabeth II: Death And Obituary What Happened To Her? Whats the difference between Heesens three superyacht build concepts? (Ironically, in the immediate aftermath of the crash, Saccentis life was saved by his race partner, none other than Ben Kramer. Aronow was born in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn,[1] the youngest son of Russian-Jewish immigrants[2] Herman and Ruth Aronow. Peters: I had gone through a divorce and it was terrible times. David A. Arnold: Death And Obituary How Did Famous Comedian, Actor-Writer &Producer Die? As director of the CIA, hed also interacted with Aronow, recalling how Don came and offered to help our country. It reported Miamis Federal Reserve branch to have amassed a currency surplus of $5 billion, mostly in drug-generated $50 and $100 bills, or more than the nations 12 Federal Reserve banks combined. The associated crime could strike anyone. Don Aronow: (frowning) You mean back when I was a kid? Don also rubbed quite a few people up the wrong way and one of them eventually shot Don dead in Miami in 1987. Nobody really knows [what happened], the only thing for sure is that Dons gone. Alongside the sexual revolution came the growth in the drugs trade. He was a great dad and a great husband. He was right out of a Hollywood script. The contessa was at the wheel of her two-seater Italian sportscar, its tires squealing as she forced the car through the mountain curves. The Miami moto king launched Magnum Marine the next year, in 1967. Celebrated yacht designer Michael Peters, who went to work for Aronow the day before he died, said, He was an asshole, but he was my asshole a benefactor for whom Ill always be grateful., On 3 February 1987, Peters was aged 34 and among the last people to speak with Aronow at the office of USA Racing Team, the latest of Aronows boat firms. We considered Formula to be a utility boat. Revealingly, the Time feature predicted that Miami would remain, as the late President Jaime Rolds of Ecuador put it, the capital of Latin America. And sure enough, I moved there on a Monday and he was murdered that Tuesday. Aronow said Let me see. Then he took the watch by the clasp, banged it on the table, and threw it in a glass of beer. Saccenti: The real Don was sitting at a business table negotiating deals. He built speedboats for the Shah of Iran, Charles Keating, Robert Vesco, Malcolm Forbes, and George H. W. Bush. WebAronow married twice. After years of delight, his prosperity is abruptly ended when he is discovered dead in his automobile. But he could tell something terrible had happened. Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots. You make real money when you sell the company. [Aronow was extremely competitive in most aspects of his life, perhaps even to a fault.]. ESPN covers Dons career as a boat racer, discussing everything from his life in luxury to his death. There was fibreglass dust in the air and the pungent smell of resin and paint. That was just his personality.. (ABOVE) TICKET TO RIDE: Don Aronow and his son, Michael, cruising off Miami with the Beatles before their iconic 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan show. The boat coasted in fourth. What Happened To Don Aronow? One of Don Aronow's race horses has just finished first. Don was the only person who gave me more than a platitudehe gave me a job, this was December of 86. Much was explained by the states southern exposure and geography its thousands of kilometres of coastline, coves and inlets. Some people say he was hiding from the mob. You had to be able to match. Cigarette, Donzi and other Aronow-conceived brands live on, as do the Miami to Key West race and offshore poker runs. In the 2018 memory film Speed Kills, Ben Aronoff played a multimillionaire. A guy comes in with the money and you build a boat for them and you never know. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue. This sum, Aronow did not return. Aronow can still remember peering out at the countryside through his thick glasses, watching the tiny lights flickering from the small farm houses of rural New York and the hobo jungle campfires burning in the night. I was like, do I really want to move down there? You make real money when you sell the company.. Money comes and goes. You make a living doing that. Don Aronow: The King of Thunderboat Row, 1994, by Michael Aronow It was the time of the sexual revolution, and his popularity with women was almost as legendary as his boating exploits, although some women were more circumspect. I cant imagine that, though, he was pretty easy to find. And then there's the matter of status by association. Katheryn Winnick and John Travolta in Speed Kills ( Source : imdb ) Ben and his wife Emily also had a son named Andrew. The hobby evolved into a business and by the end of 1962, he had formed the Formula Marine boat company, which he then sold to Merrick Lewis' Alliance Machine Corp out of Dayton, Ohio. Sign up to BOAT International email newsletters to get the latest superyacht news, business analysis, exclusive event invitations, and more. He did that a few times. Race officials found themselves in invidious positions. The University of Florida standout athlete Michael was the one who suffered serious injuries in a vehicle accident in 1970. But in the end, the investigation led to a hired gun. He became hooked on racing and thats how it all began., Phil Lipschutz Once racings in your blood, you can never get it out., Michael Aronow After that 62 race, my father started to work with Jim Wynne and Walt Walters. Ive met some extremely charismatic men, including Sean Connery and Roger Moore, she said. At his funeral, Doc Magoon gave the eulogy, and at one point he said Don was a mans man, and he paused, and then he said, and he was a ladies man. And everybody looked around the room at all of the known mistresses that were sitting there. ), After Aronows brief visit with Saccenti, he got back in his white Mercedes and began to pull away. And every new [Cigarette] that I do, I drive right by his house with it, just so he can see. It was testimony to the Theodolis diplomatic instincts that this would not become their fate. And I seen it, the blood. It was late and night during the depths of America's great Depression. After campaigning his boat "The Cigarette" around the world with mechanic Norris "Knocky" House as his cockpit companion, he won his second World Championship in three years, and third consecutive United States Championship while becoming only the 2nd American in history to win the UIM Gold Medal of Honor (Gar Wood was America's first UIM champion). [One of those characters was a race-boat driver and drug smuggler named Ben Kramer. Hed bought a Formula and a Cigarette from him, describing Aronow as a joy to be around. Everyone who knew legendary Cigarette founder Don Aronow has a story to tell about him. Allan Brown Shirley was his first wife. Kramer was already serving a life term in jail without the possibility of parole due to his convictions in 1988 and 1989 for narcotics trafficking and possession of a firearm, as well as his 1990 conviction for an unsuccessful helicopter escape attempt from a federal prison outside of Miami. Don was a native of New York who, through to his financial savvy and driving prowess, eventually came to command the Miami waterways. And he never would backpedal later or change things. Members of the Bee Gees were neighbours on both sides. A violent criminal named Bobby Young was fingered as the hitman, whose employer according to the courts was Ben Kramer. What Happened to Speed Kills Racer Ben Aronoff? It was from here the hit man opened fire, three bullets striking the powerboat star. [2] David [7] Certainly, he added sex appeal to it all. In 1977, Cigarette introduced the super sexy new 35 Mistress (as the advertisement read). [2] Michael, Donalds eldest son, thought his dad was a hero. Adam and Leelee Sobieski also gave Don a great-granddaughter, Louisanna Ray Kimmel. So little Don had driven north to spend the day in Rochester with his parents. Allan Brown Shirley was his first wife. People said whatever Don touched turned to gold., Michael Aronow Forrest Johnson was originally his fishing buddy. And the guy would say, I want a 28. And Aronow would say Oh no, were all sold out. And the guy would keep pushing, Oh, I wanted one all my life. [1] He had two elder sisters, Sylvia and Lillian. A guy would come looking at a boat with a girl, and the guy would ask How much? And Don would go, $70,000. The guy would say, Thats too much. And Don would say, every time, I think you should go get a Bayliner then, this is way too much boat for you. And the guys would be ripping their pockets open trying to give him money!, Michael Peters A guy would walk into his shop, all excited to meet [Aronow] and buy a boat. WebThree weeks before he was murdered, Aronow had a pensive, reflective talk with his wife, Lillian, a former girlfriend of Jordan's King Hussein. Michael, his oldest son, was one of the best athletes at the University of Florida. In 1966, he founded Magnum Marine and in 1967 proceeded to win his first World Championship driving two 27' Magnums, a single engine inboard and a triple engine Mercury-powered outboard. Further reading. At the east end of the street is now the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center; further east, across Biscayne Bay, on oceanside Sunny Isles Beach, stands the Porsche Design Tower. (ABOVE) HES GOT THE LOOK: Aronow looked the part. Don would compete with people his size, said Michael Peters. It says so right there on the bottom of his resume: Has survived three motorcycle crashes, totaled five automobiles and 12 boating mishaps. Allan Brown Shirley was his first wife. Members of the Bee Gees were neighbours on both sides. Aronow left his office in his white Mercedes, shortly after visiting a rival boat dealership owned by Kramer. Although witnesses failed to identify him in police line-ups, Young pled no contest to the shooting. And he eventually became aggravated with the business. 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